Monika Rubil
HUM-100
Project Proposal
For my project, I am choosing to analyze the Mona Lisa painting. The
Mona Lisa is a painting that was done by the famous painter Leonardo da
Vinci in the 16th century. It is believed that he started the painting between
1503 and 1519 and that it took him years to finish. Leonardo painted the
Mona Lisa during the Italian Renaissance which then it became the most
valued and inspiring pieces of work to this day.
I think there are many characteristics and elements about the painting
that stand out and left people mesmerized throughout the years. Mona Lisa
is a painting of a mysterious woman that no one knows. I think the mystery
of the beautiful woman is what makes it so special. Another thing about the
painting that stands out is the expression of the woman. It looks like she is
smiling at the same time the portrait gives off such a sad aura.
I think Leonardo da Vinci was trying to capture a beautiful and
mysterious portrait and just maybe trying to connect with nature, hence the
beautiful background. Although Leonardo da Vinci was not alive when the
painting because famous and known, I think maybe the expectations for the
painting that he had aligned with what it was known for. The three-quarter
pose became an inspiration for other painters, and it became very popular
during the renaissance. In conclusion, yes I do believe he was successful.
A cultural work that I am choosing that I am unfamiliar with is the
Rastafari Flag. The Rastafari flag is a mix of the original Ethiopian flag and
the current Rasta flag. Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion that was developed
in Jamaica in the 1930s. The flag has 3 color blocks which consist of green,
yellow and red and it has the lion of Judah in the middle of the flag. Each of
those details represents something about the religion. The red represents the
blood shed by African people in the fight for freedom. The gold represents
the royal lineage of all the African people and the green represents the land.
Mixing the green and yellow together also represents the power of the
African people.
I think looking through the lens of humanities affects our
understanding of diverse works for many reasons. I think it allows us to
understand the history of the items and why they were created or founded. It
can help us understand why traditions were created and why people value
them. I truly believe every cultural work reflects so many different things and
there’s so much to learn about everything. You can learn religion, families,
health, beliefs, diets, appreal etc.
